Auto OEMs Slate Joint Venture to Build Charging Stations in North America

Seven producers of electric vehicles will develop network of 30,000-plus locations

Seven automakers that are heavily invested in the development of electric vehicles (EV) will form a joint venture by year’s end to install a high-powered charging network in North America. Plans are to create at least 30,000 charging stations in urban areas and on highways, most with 10 to 20 high-power chargers.  

The as yet unnamed joint venture consists of BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz Group and Stellantis NV. The charging stations will be available for use by all drivers of battery powered EVs. The first stations will open in the U.S. in summer 2024, and later in Canada.  

The venture partners want to create a major network of high-powered charging stations. The enterprise will leverage public and private funds to accelerate installation of the stations. Plans are to power the network entirely by renewable energy.  

Common Charging Standards Will Be in Use

The stations will use standards developed by either the Combined Charging System or North American Charging Standard, both of which are becoming the standards in North America. Stations will also meet the requirements of the U.S. National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program.  

“We expect all new electric car models sold in North America to support one or both of these standards,” says James Bell, head of corporate communications at Kia America, Irvine, Calif. 

As for charging cost, Bell says details will be released close to the launch of the network, “but prices will be comparable and competitive to existing networks.” Prices will be set independently by mobility service providers (MSP). An MSP is a company or organization that provides EV charging roaming services, which allow drivers to access services at participating charging networks. 

The functions and services of the network will be integrated with participating automakers’ digital on-board and off-board environments through apps, including reservations, plug-and-charge capability, energy supply and billing. The joint venture will sell access to MSPs, which will provide network access to end customers. Direct payment solutions will be available to allow charging without MSP membership.  

The network is an important step in creating the infrastructure necessary to keep EVs running. The Biden Administration has called for 50 percent of new car sales in the U.S. to be EVs by 2030. The Center for Automotive Research forecasts that electric vehicles will account for 41 percent of vehicles sales by then.  

According to the Department of Energy, as of July, there were 32,000 publicly available DC fast chargers in the U.S. for use by 2.3 million EVs, a ratio of 72 vehicles per charger. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that 182,000 DC fast chargers will be needed to support 30 million to 42 million plug-in vehicles on the road by 2030.  

There are, in contrast, more than 145,000 gas stations in the U.S., with Texas, California and Florida having the most locations.  

The creation of the charging network will ensure that the infrastructure supports current and projected EV sales and fosters the adoption of electric vehicles, the partners said in a statement.  

Charging stations offer opportunities for use of plastics in such products as the charging devices themselves and related equipment (see March/April Plastics Engineering, p. 10).